Nickel package Q&A: Ravens OLB Paul Kruger

Each day, Times-Union sports writer Ryan O’Halloran throws five questions at a Super Bowl player. Kruger has 53 tackles and 11.5 sacks in 18 regular season/playoff games this year. A free agent in March, Kruger is in his fourth year and played at the University of Utah:

On being with Utah and winning the Sugar Bowl over Alabama in 2009:

“I remember coming into the city and remember the stadium. It was a special time. It was one of the biggest games I’ve ever played in, and Alabama was a great team. We beat those guys and went undefeated. It was a really special memory for me.”

On his back injury that forced him to miss a game earlier in the season:

“I was extremely worried about it. It was probably one of the most stressful times in my life. Here I was, I had this great opportunity ahead of me, and I had something small acting up like that. I’m glad I was able to get out of it and get healthy.”

On having a career year:

“I knew it was going to be a big change and a good opportunity for me. Coach [John] Harbaugh and I had a lot of conversations about it.”

On potentially having a big impact on Sunday’s game:

“It’s been something I’ve looked forward to for a really long time. I can’t wait to get out there and start experiencing the flow of the game. It’s going to be just like any other game, but there’s a little more hype and attention around it, so I’m pretty excited.”

On who is the best athlete on the Ravens:

“The top three is me, [quarterback] Tyrod Taylor and [nose tackle] Haloti Ngata. Tyrod is just explosive. He can dunk a basketball any way you want him to. He’s shifty, and he’s fast. Haloti is a giant man who can move like he’s a running back.”